Tie or connecting bar for railroad-switches



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T. RICHARDSON. TIE 0R GONNEGTI-NG BAR FOR RAILROAD SWITCHES. No. 3111148. Patented Jan. 20, 1 885.

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' J. T. RICHARDSON.

TIE 0R CONNECTING BAR FOR RAILROAD SWITCHES. No. 311,148. Patented Jan.Z0,1885.'

UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. RICHARDSON, OF HARRISBURG, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND ALEX- ANDER H. EGE, OF MEGHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIE OR CONNECTING B AR FOR RAILROAD-SWITCHES.

O SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,148, dated January ;20, 1885.

Application filed January 15, 1894. (X model.)

' of Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connecting Bars of Railroad-Switches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to railroad-switches, and has for its object to provide the movable pointed rails of switches with such bearings for the swivel tie or connecting bars as shall secure increased strength, flexibility of lateral movement, simplicity and cheapness of structure, as well as a minimum liability of fault in operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the main track and siding, showing my improvement, and in normal position to allow a free and unobstructed passage of a train over the main line in either direction. Fig. 2-is a transverse vertical section through line a: y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a pair of my improved tie-bars and their swivel-connections detached and complete. Fig. 4 is a plan view, and Fig. 5 is a side view,of the tie-bar. Fig. 6 is a modification. Fig. 7 is another modification.

Similar reference-letters indicate like parts in all the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, A A are the fixed rails of the main track andsiding, re spectively.

B B are the pointed and laterallyqnovable rails of the switch.

D D D D are the connecting or tie bars, used to unite the switch-rails and keep them in their respective relative positions.

E is a spring of spiral or other form, placed over the switch-rod, to which the operatinglever is attached, and is limited in its expansion by flanged collars. f, which in turn are limited by a yoke permanently fixed to the connecting-bar D. The said connecting-bar being fixed or attached to the switch-rails B B, the latter are carried with it to the one side or the other by opposite movements of the switch-lever. Nuts 9' are adjusted on the rod e, to admit of playto the yoke on the said rod when, by force from the wheels of an approaching train, a lateral movement is given to the switch-rails B B in case the switch should be set Wrong to said train either moving out of the siding or coming down'the main line in the direction of the switch-rails. The function of the spring E is to restore the pointrail B or B to its locked position after yielding to the lateral force of the wheels of a passing train. The switch-rails B B, sections of the main track and siding, respectively, being pointed at the ends b Z2. as shown, are adapted to fit snugly against the fixed rail A of the main line when the switch is set for the siding, or against the fixed rail A of the siding when set for the main line. The switchrails B B are fished at the ends 0 c to the permanent rails C 0, their prolongations of the siding and main line, respectively.

D D D" are the connecting-bars, by which, in co-operation with the spring bar D, the pointed switch-rails B B are actuated laterally'when the switch is operated for shunting. In order, however, that said pointed rails may move freely in cases of short leads that attend short radii of curvature, it has been found necessary in practice to provide the connectingbars with some means of flexible adjustment that will readily admit of said lateral movement without distortionin the same hori- 'zontal plane, and yet at thesame time afford absolute rigidity under vertical pressure. To

attain this end, said bars have heretofore been jointed at points more or less removed from the longitudinal centers of the same, thus dividing the bars into arms or sections of greater or less lengths, to whose free ends are welded transverse pieces,which in turn are fastened into the shanks of the pointed rails by means of bolts passing through the webs of the latter. By this means of adjustment, in addition to the increased cost entailed, the disadvantage of a welding is encountered that is most liable to fault and disrupture even under the most favorable circumstances of construction. In my 1 device, however, I am able to secure the re quired flexibility by the use of a continuous bar of the required dimensions, and. at the same time attain the greatest mechanical advantage possible by bringing the point of articulation in close proximity to the point of resistance, and thus utilizing the maximum percentage of power. To this end, therefore, I fasten the transverse beam M of a continuous T-bar into the inner longitudinal depression of the pointed switch-rails B B by means of bolts or rivets passing through said trans verse beam and the webs of said pointed rails. In this case, the other limb of the Tbar occupying a horizontal plane and extending inwardly more or less beyond the lateral limits of the flanges of the pointed rails, an ample breadth of bearing for the reception of a vertical perforation is made without an appreciable diminution of the strength of the same, through which a swivel-pin, P, is passed, said pin being made of suificient length to pass through similar perforations at or near the extremities of the connecting-bars and the underlying flanges of the pointed rails, as shown in Fig. 2. While thus securing by means of my improvementincreased strength, economy in the use of material, and simplicity of structure, the T-bar performs in addition the verv important function ofre-ent'orcing the strength of the pointed rails, and in effect restoring to the latter the equivalent of the material removed therefrom in consequence of planing the same to the angle required to attain a required lead.

Although my improved swivel bearings could be utilized without making the T-bar continuous, yet, ifmade in sections, there would still exist the same weakness in the pointed rail as obtainsin the diiferent modes now used in attaching the connecting-bars to their respective seats. If it be required, I can also re-enforce the strength of the flange of the pointed rail by riveting to the upper or under side of the same a clip or plate, q, also perforated continuously with said flange, as aforementioned, for the reception of the swivelpm.

In the further description of the details of my tie-bar, in addition to the advantage of making the same of a single piece and without bifurcated extremities, as are sometimes used in the crude forms of construction heretofore used, I propose to bevel the opposite ends of the bars upon their under side to the angle required to engage freely with the up per inclined surface of the underlying flange of the contiguous rail, as shown in Fig. 5.

Although I prefer to use my improved tiebar for the operation of a point-rail switch, still I do not limit myself by any means to this combination, but wish to be distinctly understood as aware that it would be a most valuable appliance in the case of any of the forms of the commonly designated stubswitch, or other patterns involving a movable rail or rails. and therefore I. claim its use in these connections also.

Since the operation of my improved pattern of switch is similar to that of the common split safety-switch in relation to the engagement of the wheel-flanges of a passing train, it is unnecessary to enlarge upon the same in this connection.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with a rail having perforations in the lower inside flange, of a bearing-plate secured to the web of the rail, having a perforated projection or lug, and bolts or pins passing through the perforations and adapted to secure the connecting-rods, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the moving rails of a switch, of continuous T-shaped strengthening-bearings adapted to be secured to the webs of the rails, the said bearings being connected by a series of continuous plain. tie-bars joined to the laterally-proiecting limb of the T-rail upon one side thereof only, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. RICHARDSON.

Witnessc.

Jno. P. MELrcir, F. D. VANDEWALKER. 

